Since I have my bmw for only 3 months now, I got a question about the green lights. I know that there are 4 or 5 of them and they will diseappear one by one and at the end, I'll need to change the oil.

The problem is : 3000 or 4000 km ago (2500 miles) , I changed my oil and I reset the oil thing (I fabricate a reset tool from the DIY page with a resistor and everything..). Everything looks fine... But since the oil change, no green light went off...

Is it possible that I f... up something with my reset tool? Or is it normal... Can't understand why BMW would put a oil change reminder that tells me to change it every 15-16+k miles... !?

Mine is in KM and I between Toronto and Montreal every Friday and Monday and my lights take about 3000+ km to each go out. I have 355,000 km on a 92 325i that I've owned since it's birth in Munich, and run Syntech 5W50 with very little engine wear. The lights go out faster or slower depending on how much city/highway or hard accellerating is done. Give it a little while longer before you begin to worry.

Here's the scoop I got from my dealer.
Change the oil every 5000km regardless of the lights.
When all the lights go out it's time for an oil service which is the dealers way of ripping you off. They got me the first time but never again.
Oil change at the dealer is about $50, oil service is about $100 (Canadian dollars of course).

I think it is a big mistake to miss with electonics for $135 check this one

www.peakreasearch.com it is good for:
engine faults/codes; explanantion of codes is listed in the included manual
reset oil change
reset check engine
optional reset for air bags light (that is more than $135)

You're missing the advantage of using synthetic oil. Changing synthetic oil every 3000 miles is a complete waste of money. I'm not saying change it every 15k or once a year, but going 7500 miles between changes using synthetic is quite normal. I'll give you an example. A jet engine on a commercial airliner has a normal operating temperature of 400-500 degrees CELSIUS. On takeoff, the temperatures reach 800-900 degrees celsius or about 1600 degrees FARENHEIT.

Jet engines have been using synthetic oil for decades. I work in the aviation industry and I will tell you that jet engine oil does NOT get changed on a regular basis. There are times when oil samples are sent to the lab for diagnosis.

By no means am I an expert on automobiles, but just comparing operating temperatures on cars and jets might explain why I see it this way.

What I'm saying here is conventional oil has properties that break down over time and because of temperature. Synthetic oil does not have the same properties conventional oil does.

Of course the dealer recommends 5000k oil changes. Most new car manuals say 7500k between oil changes denending on driving conditions. And that's using conventional oil.

I would lean more towards what the manufacturer recommends and not a dealer service manager.

Of course if you drive your car as if you are in a auto cross event every day, well you know your car best!

I pay $90.00 for an oil change here in Minneapolis. Not at the dealer, but at a service garage that only works on BMW's. How can I avoid paying this much. I also currently have 3 green light now on a 1998 528i, what does that mean? I don't have a manual.

Henri: Do as most people have recomended and ignore the lights. THat being said, it's tough to say whether or not you screwed something up. Give it time, and it will tell.

dberger: The best way to keep from spending $90 for an oil change is to do it yourself. I'm a novice mechanic (that's being very generous), and enjoy doing it myself. It's rediculously easy on the e36, and you have the satisfaction of doing it yourself. PM me if you need any help, I'm sure there's a DIY in the FAQ section.

Originally posted by dberger@Oct 23 2004, 06:53 AMI pay $90.00 for an oil change here in Minneapolis. Not at the dealer, but at a service garage that only works on BMW's. How can I avoid paying this much. I also currently have 3 green light now on a 1998 528i, what does that mean? I don't have a manual.

dberger

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Oil change is a piece of cake. After an oil change, you reset the oil service light. As mileage adds up and depending on driving conditions, i.e. frequent strarts, stop and go, the green bars disappear one by one. Then to yellow and then the warning that denotes past due.